My mom is retired, and I’ve been thinking of making and selling candles with her for fun. I was really curious about this business model, so I did some digging and found out some interesting things.
It can be worth it to make and sell candles if you enjoy the process!
Keep reading, and I’ll share how much demand there is for candles and 7 pros and 3 cons of this business.
Is There a High Demand for Candles?
Before getting into any business, it’s good to think about the demand for the product first. If there is NO demand, then you don’t have a business, right?
The good news about the candle business is that the demand is projected to grow based on multiple sources.
Vantage Market Research believes the business worldwide will grow with a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 6.5%. Future Market Insights feels that it will grow by 4.1%. Lastly, expert market research feels it will grow by 8.0% in the next 5 years.
The important thing is it’s going to keep growing, and candles will always be in demand. Funny enough, there is a really good podcast on the history of light HERE, and it explains the power of light through time and economic growth.
You could almost measure how much easier life was for humans based on how long it took to create light and the work it required.
From fire, to whale hunting, candles, to electricity. Some Interesting stuff, and you might get a lightbulb moment.
Why Someone Should Consider the Candle-Making Business?
The first reason to consider a candle-making business (and ANY business) is to have fun first. If you don’t enjoy the business, then you’re probably going to quit.
Do you like candles? How about doing something arts and crafty with your hands? If so, then maybe you would enjoy this business.
Here is a good video that shows some basics of what it’s like to make candles. This can give you an idea if you would enjoy and be relaxed with the art of candle making.
The second advantage is that you’re providing a product that you know can have an immediate benefit to someone’s life. It’s important to sell what you like, right?
Candles can provide a ton of benefits if you think about it.
- They provide light (of course).
- They can be used to improve someone’s mood and help with relaxation.
- They can be used for romance (not bad).
- They can improve the scent of a room.
- They can help someone reduce their stress (we can all use this).
- It can be used for praying and remembrance.
- It can be used for decoration.
- Can transport you back to a time when things were simple, right?
There really are many more benefits to candles if you brainstorm a list. Most importantly, you will feel good knowing you are giving someone these benefits.
The third advantage (which is big) is that there is a low startup cost. The startup cost can vary, but the best expense is probably getting the right education.
Plus, this place HERE can show you where to go to save money on materials. Most importantly, this place HERE can give you some tips on marketing the candles in stores, fairs, and online.
The fourth advantage of the candle business is that there is a wide variety of ways to market these products. For starters, they are lightweight and easy to ship, but can also be transported easily in a car.
You could take them to a local farmers’ market and interact with people directly. Heck, if there is a popular empty lot, you could set up shop there “very easily.”
You also have the option to market them using website platforms such as Etsy, Craigslist, Shopify, eBay, and more. The creativity that can be used in making candles and marketing them is really amazing.
This brings me to the fifth benefit, and that is how much creativity you can give to making the candles.
For starters, just the wax alone, there is an endless amount of options.
The sixth benefit (that I thought about) is keeping an elderly parent or kid entertained. Something other than video games or TV is a great thing.
Plus, your kid, parent, or grandparent might even earn you some money (cool, right)?
The seventh and last benefit is that you can make a side income. It’s true we live in crazy times, and having an extra stream of income is a VERY good thing.
I’m a HUGE fan of the book Antifragile that you can get HERE, where basically it’s good not to put all your eggs in one basket. Plus, being able to have a side hustle, where you have income coming in just is good for your psychological health!
There really are tons of other advantages, but these are a few that I came up with.
What are the Disadvantages of a Candle Making Business?
One of the largest disadvantages of a candle-making business is the number of options. There is a variety of different candles to make and ways to market the candles.
There is a term called paralysis analysis when there are too many choices, and you pick nothing. I’m sure you have experienced this at some time, right?
With any business, you ONLY want to purchase tools that you absolutely need to have (not want). I wrote about this in a recent post on a wood-making business HERE.
You just want to put yourself in profit as cheaply as you can, then reinvest your profits to grow the business.
If you’re not in profit, then you don’t have a business, you have a hobby, right?
The next disadvantage is that it takes a commitment (just like any business). Knowing when to quit something is NOT easy.
Businesses usually take a little longer than we expect. Jeff Bezos, the creator of Amazon, actually put a 10,000-year clock in a mountain to remind himself to think long-term.
Having patience can be a challenge today when more and more people just don’t have it. If you do have patience, then it’s going to make you WAY more competitive.
The third disadvantage is going to be legal steps and having a business plan.
I’m not a lawyer, and this is going to depend on where you live, but this place HERE can give you some great information on this.
Another challenge is the shipping. I recommend eBay to start because it’s free to set up and even to list for free. You only have to pay a fee if the item sells.
With Etsy, you have to pay money to set up the shop, and I think there are more fees.
The hardest part with eBay is the shipping part, plus watching out for scammers. I wrote a post that shares 10 tips on listing, shipping, and watching out for scammers on eBay HERE.
There are other businesses that are easier due to bypassing the step of physical inventory and having to ship items, and providing customer service.
OH, and not having to pay money to start!
Off the top of my head, affiliate marketing is WAY easier.
With affiliate marketing, ALL you do is post a link, and if someone clicks on the link and does something. It could be making a purchase, filling out a form, downloading a free app, and you get paid.
The best part is you can do it anywhere, anytime, around your schedule, in almost any niche, and it can be a lot of fun.
If you want to learn more, I’m giving away free guides on my system, and I’ve been at it for 15 years HERE.
The cool thing with affiliate marketing is that it can work perfectly with candlemaking, and you can document your journey, making another stream of income.
Lastly, there are work-from-home jobs and flexible work as an option. Finding a legit work-from-home job can be challenging because there is a lot of bullshit and scams.
This network HERE can weed through the bullshit and scams. It is a subscription service, but it’s worth it.
Plus, they can help you land the job, help with the interview, and resume.
Closing
One crazy candle fact that you may not know is that candles pull the fragrance up. There is only so much fragrance to candle wax, and eventually, the fragrance gets burned up, and you still have wax.
Also, the history of candlemaking has to do with animal fat or tallow. It’s “a lot” of work, and now making candles with animal fat is mostly forgotten.
In the crazy times we live in, having a side hustle or business is a great idea. If you find that candlemaking isn’t your thing, you could prefer to check out this simple craft business HERE.
I hope this blog post on the candlemaking business was helpful. Bye for now.